Judge allows gay marriage initiative on ballot

Phoenix, AZ – Proposition 107 would constitutionally define marriagein Arizona as between one man and one woman, ban civilunions, and bar government agencies from offeringbenefits to the partners of unmarried employees.Attorney Charles Blanchard said that violatesrequirements limiting constitutional amendments to asingle subject, something he said is designed to keepgroups from attaching an unpopular measure to a morepopular one in hopes of getting both approved.

(And that's exactly what's going on here. They'retaking the very popular ban on same-sex marriage andtrying to get a home run by adding to it what thepublic doesn't want. The public does not want a ban ondomestic partner benefits. And that's exactly whatthey're trying to accomplish.)

Judge Charles Rayes acknowledged polls show more peoplesupport banning gay marriage than outlawing domesticpartner benefits. But he accepted arguments by attorneyGlen Lavy that the measure has a single goal --protecting marriage. Lavy said it would do no good toban gay marriage if lawmakers or judges could createwhat he called 'marriage imitations' by giving the samerights to unwed couples. Blanchard will appeal to thestate Supreme Court. In Phoenix, for Arizona PublicRadio this is Howard Fischer.